Monday, April 2, 2012

Our Time: A High School Baseball Coach's Journey

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As baseball season opens, I think about where those MLB players came from. Yes, I believe most of them have God-given raw talent, but it was the parents and coaches of their youth that channeled that talent into becoming talent they are today. I just finished reading the book, Our Time: A High School Baseball Coach's Journey (iUniverse, 2011) by Scott Illiano and I am also reminded how much impact a coach can have on the lives on all the students who they work with, not just those who make the big leagues.

Our Time: A High School Baseball Coach's Journey is much more than a "David and Goliath" story, it is a story of honor, respect and believing in yourself and others, attributes that can help you succeed long beyond the field. Here is the synopsis from back of the book:

A coach is part teacher, part parent, part student, part mentor, and part guru. He must posses a stern hand and a comforting touch--and a wisdom to discern when each is needed. Each decision he makes is a part of a perilous high wire act that can propel a team forward or send a season tumbling downward.

But when does a coach truly become a coach? Is it after some athletic director looks across the desk, offers his hand, and says, "Congratulations, you've got the job?" Is it after that first win? That first championship? Or is it when all those nagging questions in the back of the mind finally stop nagging?

Scott Illiano, head baseball coach of the West Essex High School Knights, chronicles his incredible journey from waiter in a chain restaurant to veteran coach in Our Time. Discover how an unproven coach and a patchwork group of underdogs battle injuries, biting cold temperatures, and fierce competition in their quest to win the Greater Newark Tournament, the oldest and most prestigious baseball tournament in the state of New Jersey.

Twenty kids and four coaches share a dream and a whole lot of heart. Through their journey, in victory and defeat, struggle and success, readers will find out when a coach becomes a coach.

Scott Illiano is a special education teacher and the head baseball coach at West Essex High School in North Caldwell, New Jersey. In 2010, he was named Northeast Region Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations. He holds a master degree in educational administration from Montclair State University and lives in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey.

Our Time: A High School Baseball Coach's Journey contains invaluable lessons and reminders that would be perfect for athletes of any age, parents, coaches and teachers. The book is well written, enjoyable, inspirational and easy to read. I love hearing about the underdog winning and I know how that it takes more than just basic skill/talent to do so, it takes believing in yourself and heart! I think this is a great read for just about everyone, especially if you even remotely enjoy any type of sport!

Thank you to Smith Publicly for my sample used in this review, opinions are honest. Review by Michelle.